


Toppat Days

by AKhaos



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Arnoldt the True Commander, Carol is a Total Tease, Comrades, Drinking & Talking, Ellie's words are marked, F/M, Feelings Realization, Henry's got a lot on his mind, Planet Raid, Sven's voice sounds familiar, TR (Ending)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26015599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKhaos/pseuds/AKhaos
Summary: Henry and Ellie were really making a name for themselves within the Toppat Clan. Living out their larcenist lifestyle with impunity, giving the military a headache, learning about the inner workings of this criminal empire. What a time to be alive!It was a fine beginning to the next chapter in Henry's life, and he hoped there was plenty of more fun to be had along the way. Especially with his red-head partner at his side...*Post-Toppat Recruits Ending*
Relationships: Henry Stickmin/Ellie Rose
Comments: 14
Kudos: 125





	Toppat Days

**Author's Note:**

> If I had to pick my canonical ending out of the 16 given to us by PuffBalls, I think I'd have to go for Toppat Recruits.
> 
> When I first entered the CtM hub screen and took in all of the differing ending combinations, there was one particular combo that piqued my interest. As soon as I pictured them together, I knew they'd be a doozy. Pure-Blooded Thief and Convict Allies! I mean, am I the only one?? I had a feeling that all of the endings involving CA would be super interesting because of the inclusion of Ellie, so I saved them all for last. Specifically, I saved that combo for very last! It neatly ties up so many threads in the Henry Stickmin universe. It concludes the story of FtC, resolves the conflict between The Wall, Military, and Toppat Clan with Henry and Ellie in the middle, and preserves Henry at his best, imo. An honest-to-god thief, sticking to his roots with the perfect partner in crime at his side! Endings like Toppat King, Triple Threat, Valiant Hero, Revenged and others are also potentially great endings, but I prefer TR the most.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy another Toppat Clan speculative piece, with stars Henry and Ellie running the show, and some familiar faces! Also, keep an eye on the names of various characters. You'd be surprised how much fun you can have identifying specific characters, especially within the Toppat Clan, seeing which areas they pop up in the story and imagining what they do and where they fit in the grand scheme of things. I've apparently found too much fun in speculating what the Toppat Clan elite Carol Cross is like, lol.

Interestingly, there were a lot of things about the Toppat Clan that once-lowly thieves like Henry didn't understand once upon a time.

...Oof, hold that thought. He and his fellow raiders were in the middle of something...

He _knew_ Arnoldt's plan to raid a military convoy carrying valuables was too good to be true. Seriously, _who_ really thought that a shady report from the surface detailing plans to ship a cargo of sweet valuables from the jungle was trustworthy...?

Well, probably Arnoldt Schwarz, that's who! The guy covering their flank as the not-so-weak military convoy shouted profanities at them, pursuing them into the jungle? The guy who his recently acquired partner, Ellie, had warned him not to go on this mission with because it was _obviously_ a trap set up by the military? Yeah, that guy!

Anyway, getting his mind away from all the distractions (NO! Don't pull out the STICKY GRENADES! Ah, there. Henry grinned and threw behind him a bunch of smoke grenades at the military guys chasing them, grenades which had the added effect of deploying sticky confetti! Their pristine uniforms will be totally ruined! That should slow them down!), the Toppat Clan is kinda touted as a family. You know, your fellow Toppats being your brothers and sisters, encouraged to share the profits, _strongly encouraged not_ to fight among themselves, yada yada. Usual shtick! It's bad for business when there's infighting, and it inspires good feelings in the clan's members to feel like they're part of a gang who'll have their back!

Of course, it wasn't always that simple. For one—Hold on, dammit Arnoldt! Henry gritted his teeth, sprinting into a defensible position with his partner at his side. The best they could find was a big rock, so they took it. He put his hand to his head, making sure his top hat was secure. Yep, it was! Same with Ellie's! Arnoldt was taunting the disoriented military guys, who were furiously and futilely trying to scrape the confetti off themselves! Henry paid a lot of money for gimmick devices like those grenades, and he didn't like seeing them go to waste!

Henry really should've listened to Ellie; she usually had the more level head between the two of them. That was always something he really liked about her. She was a good antidote to his madness. Maybe because he was overly prone to reckless decisions, but that was another matter.

But... Arnoldt's voice was just way too _commanding!_ Too inspiring! If the guy said he was gonna be raiding the surface, you bet your arse a bunch of people wanted to go with him, and Henry was no exception! Ellie just sighed and went along with it, like usual, _"Welp, guess I'm heading down there with you guys... Mark my words, though, it's totally a trap..."_ Her words were marked.

Okay, he really needed to sort out his thoughts! Right, Toppat Clan! Your whole life wasn't _just_ devoted to the Toppats, obviously. Individual members could have a variety of reasons for wanting to join the ranks. Maybe they knew someone who was already a member, and envious of the gentleman-criminal lifestyle, they joined up. Maybe the simple allure of wealth pulled them in. It was possible that you just needed to escape from some bad decisions you made in the past, but weren't willing to let go of your larcenist lifestyle, and wanted to join up with a bigger criminal gang. Like Henry and Ellie.

But, a pretty big one that perhaps wasn't all that common between the Toppat Clan and a lot of other gangs, was family. The lifestyle of a criminal wasn't exactly brimming with security and family benefit plans. It was just too uncertain, usually too disorganized, and often the risk of dying or being thrown in the slammer, only to leave behind a devastated spouse and kid, just wasn't worth it to a lot of guys (and some gals). And most family men didn't stick with that life for long if they had someone to come home to, whether because they opted out through choice, or... opted out _without choice..._ Yeah... Henry didn't like pushing that line of thought.

Similar to the Mafia, the Toppats were different, and had an incentive to be different. If you wanted to recruit and keep some of the best people, you needed to know what they want, and if you could give it to them. Take The Ruffian, for example. A veteran Toppat member.

As Henry peered over the rock he and Ellie were taking cover behind, ignoring Arnoldt's Austrian-tinted laughter as the beast sprayed his mini gun everywhere, his eyes narrowed at their casualties. At least five of their men, similarly swayed by the promise of wealth and a fun raid, were injured in some ways. About four of them were taking cover behind whatever they could find; foliage, twisty trees, and one was even using a ditch to hide in as bullets rained all over the place.

The Ruffian, real name Smith, Henry had learned a while back, had taken a bullet to his left leg a minute ago, and was writhing on the forest ground between the retreating Toppats and advancing soldiers. This guy has been in the Toppat Clan for a good number of years at this point, a great example! He had a wife somewhere, supposedly she lives in D.C. and had a secretary job at some federal agency. Smith also had two boys with the woman when he first joined some 15 years ago, now those boys were teenagers. Since the guy first joined, he'd always send the majority of trickled spoils he earned back home to his wife and kids, who needed the money to survive. The guy had survived _a lot_ up to this point to provide for them, and he had friends among the clan who respected him a ton for it. All around, a pretty decent guy for a crook.

Looks like seniority among Toppat fighters didn't guarantee safety, though. Crime _never_ did.

Henry gasped, seeing that the military was recovering and about to make another push. The looks in their eyes showed fierce determination, already sucker-punched because the Toppats had managed to launch their orbital station 3 weeks ago. The military didn't want them to be getting away with anything else, and they'd take any victory they could get. Capturing individual members like The Ruffian would be good enough since their raid had already mostly failed to get anything from the convoy.

Henry quickly sorted through his options on how to save his fellow member. Ellie looked to him, crouched beside and looking past the rock they were hiding behind, also noticing they were about to lose a comrade if they didn't do anything. They were already on the same wavelength, which he always appreciated.

What could he use here? The Swapper device? No, he wanted to save the guy, but not take his place! Distraction Dance? He was sure Ellie would be fired up for it, but he didn't bring his boombox along with him... Teleporter? Freak no, he'd accidentally teleport the both of them to the sun, knowing his luck!

Hmm... there's gotta be something else...

A lightbulb popped above his head! "Hey, hey," he whispered. Ellie jumped slightly, listening to his plan. Hails of gunfire was still going off around him, so he leaned closer, gesturing with his hands. "Think you can lift him over here?"

 _And not by the neck, please._ He silently pleaded, phantom sores popping up in his throat from the memory of their joint escape from The Wall a while back. Why she insisted on going full Sith Lord on him back then, he would never know.

Ellie blinked, before she grinned victoriously, knowing she already had this in the bag. Henry moved aside and let her do her thing.

She barely popped her head above the flat rock, ignoring Arnoldt's continuous screams about _"get to the teleporter beam!"_ in that thick accent of his. Henry watched her close her eyes, concentrating, before _feeling_ that invisible force cross the jungle to The Ruffian's wounded body. He yelped, probably feeling like he was free falling, but not actually falling down to the ground again. Ellie gently, as much as she could anyway, lifted him and pulled him in the direction of their retreat. The other soldiers were noticing his supernatural floating and aimed to fire on him...

...Only to start ducking for cover as Henry vaulted over the rock and began suppressing fire with _ninja stars,_ rapid firing the thin metal blades as they zipped across the forested area like thin strips of death. A bunch of soldiers began frantically scrambling for places to duck and cover, jumping out of the way and momentarily halting their assault.

He still wasn't accurate enough with them to actually _hit_ anyone, at least on purpose, but what he was displaying here was a massive improvement compared to missing a single target, like, 3 feet in front of him! (Why did _that_ specific line pop in his head? He'd never had the chance to throw ninja stars at anyone before. Henry figured his memory was going on the fritz...)

Ellie flashed him a grateful smile as she continued to pour energy around The Ruffian. Henry gave her a thumbs up, not bothering to ignore the warmth inside him. She stood up out of cover as The Ruffian drew near, and force carried the injured man beside her as the remains of the Toppat Raid moved towards a clearing in the trees. The Ruffian kept both hands on his head, both as a comfort to himself, and also not wanting to lose his prized top hat. The hat itself was weathered and full of holes, and held a lot of sentimental value to him over the years!

Henry hopped down from the rock, scrambling after his comrades and hurrying along a still cackling Arnoldt towards their pickup zone. The teleporter beam on the Toppat orbital station could only reach areas that otherwise wasn't impeded by natural barriers, like the foliage of a thick rainforest, for example. They'd planned ahead of time to raid the convoy quickly, nab their new valuables, and rendezvous at this convenient opening in the trees before the military knew what was going on! That... didn't happen. Well, Ellie was right... but Henry had still managed to grab a few jewels, trinkets, and expensive military hardware before they were repelled, so it wasn't a complete loss! He had them in the bag he was carrying right now!

Anyway, now that they were mostly out of the danger zone, back to what he'd been thinking about earlier. The Ruffian had been in huge trouble, and assuming they weren't quick and had to leave him behind, two things would've happened. Either he'd get captured by the military and placed into special custody, probably before being sentenced to life in prison, or he would die to his injuries, likely by infection. Years of service, only to leave behind his brothers and sisters-in arms, as well as his family, sadly enough. But, if you knew the guy, it was pretty easy to tell who he was most loyal to.

The Toppat Clan wasn't blind to this. They knew that the motivation for plenty of members wasn't solely to the cause of getting rich. And the culture surrounding the clan made it clear that not only was it perfectly acceptable for its members to be loyal to their actual families, but encouraged it. That was something he found pretty smart. You could poke a few holes in the idea, sure, but if so many people well suited for a life of crime were all over the place, just waiting to be recruited, why not make it easier getting them to join and stay by making it clear that their families were under the clan's protection, and would be compensated in the event of unfortunate events? The Toppats had the resources for it, and the constant influx of people joining meant that they could do a lot more activities and sustain their longevity. Strategies like these have been one of several employed across the clan for generations, and the Toppats were still going strong today! It made for great branding, too, which, for a criminal organization as infamous as the Toppats, was only a good thing.

Plenty of fresh-faced men and women simply weren't the best suited for traditional avenues of employment, so it made sense to make the incentives as clear as possible to them to join. Hell, look at Henry! He'd tried dozens of little jobs over the years, from being a janitor (hey, the kinds of things janitors were forced to do, he at least respected them for their work!), to being a prison guard (HA! that's a laugh...). He'd even debated dedicating his body to science and making money on the side as a test subject.

His various experiences with the teleporter and transdimensionalizer had soured him enough out of that idea, thank you very much! Henry thought bitterly...

...None of those things fit him. He just couldn't find enjoyment out of menial work like that. Too safe and too boring. And in-turn, he wasn't motivated to make much money from those things. Crime was always his thing, and so many years later, he'd found that passion right for him!

That was another thing he liked a lot about Ellie. The redhead was as sweet and affable as you allowed her to be, but clearly she got a kick out of this lifestyle, too. She had a hell of a track record under her belt, too, for a girl several years his junior. 23 years old, and deemed dangerous enough to be locked up with the likes of those at The Wall? The stories she'd shared with him over the month-and-a-half he'd known her, as well as the almost disbelief of how well they worked together, were enough for him to totally reconsider his lone thief lifestyle. Now, that actually meant a lot more than it initially seems.

Partners could largely be seen as a detriment in this industry, even in organized criminal gangs like these. It was _hard to_ be cohesive and synced as a pair, especially in the midst of a high-stress situation like grand larceny! Henry had tried on multiple occasions over the years, giving several people the benefit of the doubt, to work together with someone on small-scale crimes. In almost all those cases, he and whoever was his partner of the day couldn't agree on the plans, couldn't agree who would do what, would flop on the execution, and most importantly, fought over the size of their cuts. It became such a hassle that Henry had finally opted to abandon the notion of a "Partner in Crime" altogether when he left his parents' house at 21, going his own way. He had determined he would carve out his destiny in the underworld by himself!

...Ellie was making him reconsider a lot of things.

The surviving Toppats all shuffled and hurried to the small clearing. Two of them, Talinn Circus and The Witch, hovered over The Ruffian as Ellie lowered him to the ground, working together to cover the wound for later medical examination. Ellie bent over, hands gripping her knees, taking a few deep breaths to recover. Henry laid his hand on her back, smiling in silent thanks. She looked up at him, surprised, before looking back at the ground and bearing a small smile. She nodded.

"So..." She panted slightly, returning a teasing stare back at him. "I trust you had my words marked, right?" Henry frowned for a second, before the smile returned. He rolled his eyes theatrically, raising his hands in a shrug like he wasn't about to confirm nor deny. She laughed, elbowing him. "God, you guys are _hopeless!_ Seriously, what would you have done if I hadn't gone down here with you?" She asked, not really mad, but exasperated as hell.

"Eh," Henry hummed noncommittally. "We'd have figured something out. I guess you made some things easier."

" _Some things?"_ Ellie repeated, fully recovered and pushing herself into his grinning face. The other Toppats looked at the two with mock annoyance, easing up as the orbital station began beaming them up. Something Henry _really liked_ was that the two of them had already secured a reputation within the clan. Like sure, arriving at their jungle base at the last minute and helping to push back the government and some weird Russian para-military types definitely made an impression, but from the moment of their welcoming ceremony, the two of them were making waves.

" _Some things_ being pretty much everything that went right on this mission! You're lucky we even snagged a few goodies at all!" She smacked the bag he was carrying to emphasize her point. He stumbled a bit, regaining his balance before he could feel himself being lifted off the ground. Ah, there's our getaway! Ellie crossed her arms, also experiencing weightlessness. "I think you owe me a drink for this, Henry. Several, preferably." She said, brimming her pink top hat with an amused smirk.

Henry shrugged, just sporting a content smile. Fair enough. He and the rest were bagging some decent enough spoils that they'd _all_ be enjoying themselves tonight. And hey, if he could end off their banter with the promise of a fun evening, he was fine with letting her have her win.

In the Toppat Clan, notoriety played in your favor, instead of it being the other way around. And the pair of Henry and Ellie loved being in the spotlight too much to _not_ embrace that notoriety. They'd branded themselves as an anomaly who came out of nowhere, Henry even had come to blows with the Toppats over the Romanian Ruby months ago, bringing along an unknown girl who was just as prone to successful unorthodoxy as him. Now they were some of the clan's top operatives.

This was _really_ the life for him. Henry grinned and offered her his fist.

Ellie dropped her mock angry face and grinned, returning his fist bump.

"No! Not again!" Some of the military guys began sprinting out of the tree, aiming to shoot before they got away. Henry and Ellie offered them a friendly wave with cheesy grins before being fully beamed up. Raid (semi)successful!

* * *

 _"Welcome to Orion Lounge."_ A robotic greeter voice welcomed them. Henry and Ellie fitted themselves inside the lounge room, hearing the _hiss_ of the door shut behind them. It was packed tonight.

Well, technically speaking, there was no _night, morning, afternoon_ or any of that in space. But they had to keep track of time in _some way,_ lest everyone's day schedules got messed up more than they already were.

Jeez, everyone was having a good time in here, Henry was pleased to see. The last few weeks had basically been marked as the Toppat Clan's Grand Celebration. Their generations-long dream of having an untouchable main base of operations had basically been fulfilled! It would be a long time before any of the Earth governments could coordinate a competent enough offensive against the station, so the clan would be sitting pretty for at least a little while! In the meantime, everyone thought, they could make good use of their teleporter beam technology, launch some raids here and there, then party it out. They were essentially invincible right now, so why not?!

That was an idea Henry could get behind. Spending at least a week or two either behind bars or on the run seriously deprived him of some much needed recreation. Not mention all the missions they'd been on since joining. Ellie seemed to be of the same mindset, too, if her pulling him emphatically to the bar table meant anything. He let her, too much in a good mood to really care about being dragged. Besides, it was Ellie.

A few guys at the pool table greeted them in-passing, congratulating them on their raid. Henry tried and failed not to look at Carlos Candela. He at least managed to stuff his urge to grimace, at least. That guy just _could not_ hold a pool cue right. Seriously, just look at his form!

A voice to their right caught their attention, though. Arnoldt waved at them from the window booth, also celebrating their little excursion to the surface. "Henry! Ellie! Come over here! Share a toast with me, in celebration of our victory!"

Henry glanced at his partner, silently asking if she was alright with a quick toast with the Austrian commander, along with the people he was sitting with. She shrugged, not minding. She didn't have a problem with Arnoldt himself, but his battle strategies were more harebrained than the two of them together most times.

They walked over, taking note of the people sitting with Arnoldt. Oh, he was hanging out with some of his fellow higher-ups. Let's see... there's Sven Svensson, some guy in a really bright, golden top hat, and the infamous (depending on who you asked) Carol Cross. They tended to congregate in the Orion Lounge whenever they weren't busy. There were multiple areas of the ship dedicated to R&R, but the Orion Lounge was the haunt most frequented by the Toppat elites.

Arnoldt grinned a mostly toothy smile, raising his glass. The others sitting around him shook their heads, too used to his antics. "Don't be shy. Sven, pour our dear friends here some refreshments!"

Henry raised his hand in greeting. Ellie also gave a smile in tandem. Sven waved back, while Carol coolly nodded with an enigmatic smile. Henry focused on the young man for a second. Largely considered to be a junior elite by a lot of people, Sven held a rather unique position in comparison to his contemporaries. He didn't look like it, but this Swedish-born Toppat elite was next-in-line to take over the Toppat Clan in the event Reginald or RHM were unable to lead, barring some unexpected outcomes... Now, that's a hell of a position. There's no formal statement anywhere that actually states that, but anyone who knew Toppat politics was aware of this. How is this the case, you might ask?

There didn't look to be anything noteworthy about the guy; besides maybe his voice, which sounded eerily similar to an entertainment sensationalist back on Earth... He's also the youngest among the Toppat higher-ups, so the question stands: how is he in such a promising position for inheritance?

Well, if Henry had to guess, probably because none of the other higher-ups want the position. It seemed very counter-intuitive; after all, why _wouldn't_ you want to be the head honcho? You ultimately controlled all the assets owned by the Toppat Clan, you got to approve of all the raids and heists, living in total luxury with an army of (mostly) loyal and stylish gangsters ready to follow your orders. Hell, in another life, Henry probably would've _loved_ the position! But, for the people in front of him, maybe not so much...

He was still figuring out all the inner workings of the clan, but Henry had at least come to understand that the higher-ups weren't the _bosses_ of the rest of the grunts, like you'd think traditionally. It'd be more apt to see them as Toppat Clan members who held additional privileges and responsibilities. They happen to have the ear of their Leader, but are still criminals at the end of the day, so they're expected to get involved with the grunt work, too. They did organize various sections and divisions of this criminal empire, and reaped those rewards, but the men and women they lead held no actual deference to them: ultimately, their loyalty is to the Toppat Clan leader, and no other. Did this principle always work in practice? No, but it's been made clear several times throughout the clan's history that the higher-ups are supposed to serve as middlemen between the main population and the Leader. The Leader, in this case Reginald, entrusts these higher-ups with complex tasks and mostly leaves them alone to do their own devices, like every other member.

And that seemed to be enough for most of them. Arnoldt wanted to be on the front lines, taking part in the Clan's most daring operations. Charismatic, but probably would drive the higher-ups crazy with his stunts. Macbeth, who isn't on the station right now, is perfectly suited for handling the various logistical challenges facing the Toppat Clan, but probably wouldn't like the pressure from the most stressful job in the whole clan. Fredrickson, who also isn't here, is still in some hot water with Reginald and the rest of the clan for his leak during the Tunisian Diamond incident (Henry had already sold the diamond through discreet channels, and he was still surprised the man hadn't found out yet it was _him_ who stole it). The former mayor is mostly serving as an advisor right now, and likely wouldn't be fit for leadership anytime soon. Carol seemed content funding heists alongside her friend, Albert Poshley, and extorting those foolish enough to get on her bad side. Adding the responsibilities of Leader of the Toppat Clan would actually hinder a lot of these peoples' activities, not help.

Sven, who took a more hands-on approach to a lot of the Toppat Clan's operations, and still had that youthful potential going for him, would likely step up if his peers didn't then. Besides, it was common opinion that he'd make a pretty decent replacement. It helped that he worked closely with Reginald and RHM on a lot of projects, so he already had some idea on what to do during an emergency. Henry's heard him say before that he didn't _want_ to be leader, and would only take the position if he really had to. Luckily for him, he hasn't had to step up to the plate.

Sven sighed, a familiar look of disbelief settling on his face. "With how much you _celebrate_ , I should be shocked that you're _not_ already wasted on the floor, Schwarz... I wouldn't put it past you being a robot or something with that iron kidney of yours..." Despite this, he did grab two small glasses from the end of the table, along with an expensive looking bottle, and poured Henry and Ellie their glasses with a look of sympathy. "How you two put up with this juggernaut is beyond me... Careful, it'll knock you back hard!" He cracked.

They grabbed the offered glasses, winking at each other, before leaning over the table to clank them with Arnoldt's. _*clink*_ The man laughed uproariously, slapping the top of the table with unadulterated glee, and downed the drink in one shot. Henry and Ellie, not wanting to end up _too_ fizz-happy by end of the evening, each took more moderate sips. Damn, that's a strong drink! Ellie coughed a bit, but still looked like she enjoyed the taste.

"Do you like it?" Carol asked politely, eyes darting between the two of them. "It's a vintage wine, with a notoriously provocative flavor. I had it beamed up from the surface by a friend of mine. I have a feeling we're going to need it as Arnoldt regales us with his war stories." She joked, eyeing her friend with a familiar incredulity.

"Damn right!" The man in question boasted. A few Toppats around the window booth chuckled.

"So," the guy sitting next to Carol Cross addressed Henry and Ellie, and he was wearing a sick golden hat, "How much of what Schwarz' saying is true? Ms. Cross and me are having a bet on how much he's full of it." He ignored Arnoldt's indignant "HEY!" as Carol smirked at him.

"Goldy," Carol said affectionately, laying a hand on his arm and rubbing up and down. Henry raised an eyebrow. "I said it was fine calling me Carol in friendly company," Carol said in an amused tone, though there was a hint of sweetness to it. 'Goldy' didn't say anything to that, and noticeably went a bit red in the face as Sven and Arnoldt broke out in small chuckles, otherwise not wanting to embarrass their other guest too much. Even Ellie had to hide her growing grin behind her hand. Carol smirked with a twinkle in her eye, taking an innocent sip from her drink. She _totally_ did that on purpose. "But yes, I'd quite like to hear that Arnoldt here went in with his usual reckless abandon, and not that his boasting matches reality for a change. You know I like a good bet, especially one where I'm the winner."

Ooh, this is a perfect segue into the next part of what Henry was thinking about earlier! And involving Carol Cross, interestingly enough.

So, we obviously know that the Toppat Clan takes extra measures to make sure that its members' families were guaranteed a certain degree of safety, ensuring loyalty. But, what happened if feelings were to pop up _between_ members? Henry silently glanced at Ellie. She was recovering from that small display by Carol and thinking of an appropriate answer that wouldn't piss Arnoldt off.

Well, for the most part, Henry thought, there weren't really any restrictions.

In the Toppat Clan, while it wasn't _encouraged_ that members start getting frisky with each other, like it sort of was when you had a family, it wasn't frowned upon, either. Obviously it is if it starts interfering with yours and their ability to advance the clan's goals, but at this point the Toppat Clan isn't merely a criminal _gang._ They're a _criminal empire._ They could afford for some of their members to go beyond friendly relations. Besides, with hundreds to a few thousand total members worldwide, that sort of thing would be _way_ too hard to police on all cases, Henry thought amusedly. Getting all restrictive about what you couldn't do with each other also sounded too authoritarian for a bunch of criminals at war with governments. Better to trust local admins to handle cases if they really became a problem. That was the clan's stance on it: pretty relaxed. Maybe early on in its history it would've forbidden such things, but it was the 21st century and they were big and powerful now. Ever since the days of Randy Radman, one of the chillest, raddest leaders in Toppat Clan history, a bunch of old rules were loosened, including the whole thing with members getting together if they wanted to.

In this case, it'd be perfectly acceptable for Carol Cross to be dating a fellow member, and vice versa. Given what she said, though, they probably wanted to keep it downplayed. And even though relationships in the Toppat Clan weren't entirely uncommon, that doesn't mean _no_ issues ever pop up. Even something that wasn't against the rules could get a bad rep in a certain light. Before this, Henry had no idea Carol Cross was _officially_ with anybody. It was no surprise, really, with the kind of reputation she'd fostered. In this case, Goldbloom, Henry thinks his name is, and her had been talking long enough to make a go of it. Henry recalled that Goldbloom was a former CEO, before he was ousted for embezzling the company's funds into the Toppat Clan's coffers and being forced to flee the States. So, he was probably somewhat high class, which thinking about it, Carol likely found pleasant.

Henry hasn't known Carol Cross for terribly long, but he got the impression that she was mostly in this life for the profit and the thrills right now. Probably had no intentions to get married anytime soon, if he had to guess. But relationships popped up naturally all the time, and this was just one case of something highly unusual happening; that was Carol Cross being kind of a sweetheart in the presence of others! Still, he could understand them wanting to downplay the whole thing. A regular old Joe might assume that Goldbloom, an assistant to RHM, was trying to cozy himself up to the higher-ups through Carol to get some prestige back into his life. She'd likely take offense to that accusation, both for his sake, that he'd use her simply for his own image, and for hers, that she was stupid enough to be taken advantage of in that way.

There wasn't much one could do to change how people saw your relationships with others, Henry admitted sadly. Still, if they wanted to take that kind of risk, all power to them.

It might seem strange to be so heavily thinking about these sorts of things. Maybe even a little creepy. Still, Henry had been thinking about this topic for a little while now...

Ellie couldn't quite hold back her laugh, but still kept her hand close to her mouth. "Well, we managed to get _some_ valuable loot out of that ordeal, so I'm happy about that. But yeah, if I had to say one thing, it's that Arnoldt definitely made an impression on the military convoy who were waiting for us!" She joked.

Sven and Goldbloom roared out in laughter, already having figured Arnoldt was exaggerating a storm. Arnoldt himself fixed Ellie with a mock glare, promising he'd get _back_ at her for that later. Carol's body language relaxed, too, letting out a short chuckle at her friend's expense, soaking in the atmosphere and dropping the strict higher-up persona a little bit.

"Thank you for sorting out our situation, Ellie," Coral thanked her, taking another sip before setting it back down again. "I'll be collecting my debt later," She eyed her partner next to her viciously. She turned her attention back to the two of them, the intensity of her stare diminished only a little bit. "But, we'll let you two go now. I wouldn't want to keep you after such an interesting mission..." She said suggestively. Henry froze up slightly, catching a glint in her eye from looking at him. Carol turned her attention back to Arnoldt, amused at his desire for comeuppance, already spouting that his true plan was to throw off the military's pathetic attempt to entrap him, which he did!

Ellie tapped Henry's arm, urging him away and towards the bar. "Let's leave 'em to do their own thing"

Henry nodded. Damn that woman... Henry wondered if she had made that statement in response to whatever little hints she'd caught throughout their conversation, or if she's strongly suspected it for a while... Probably a bit of both.

Did Ellie know... As they walked past the pool table, he took in her expression. She noticed his checking her out and returned a curious smile, eyebrow raised. He quickly offered a shrug before facing forward. Oof... Embarrassment aside, she didn't seem to suspect anything. That was... good?

 _Sigh._ He was continuing to stall, wasn't he?

Henry and Ellie each took a bar stool. The two of them didn't give much attention to the large number of Toppat members around them. Most in attendance were similarly cheery members who've been celebrating their hard-earned victories on the surface. A few were fresh-faced recruits drawn in following the successful orbital station launch and acquainting themselves to their new life, starting off by getting washed up at the bar.

The two of them stuck close, relishing in the relative anonymity of blending into the crowd. A pleasant contrast to their uniqueness.

Ellie looked at him expectantly, about to nudge him in the ribs if he even dared pretend to forget his promise. He didn't even have to look in her direction to know that. Henry waved the bartender over. He held up two fingers. "Two Toppy Sunshine Rises," he ordered, the beverage in question being a specialty drink. The man nodded, turning his back and began setting up.

Ellie hummed in approval. She raised her voice to accommodate for the speakers close to the bar, filling the room with music. "Good choice. How'd you know I was in the mood for something fruity?" She leaned her elbow onto the table, resting her head on her hand. "Wait, wait, don't tell me!" She shook her other hand emphatically. "You have a mind-reading device in that bag o' tricks of yours, and you used it to figure out what kind of drink I wanted!" She exclaimed, only partially jokey. Funny how she went for the most innocent interpretation of that train of thought. She let out an airy giggle, already letting the atmosphere get to her. She sounded... cute, Henry admitted.

Instead of appearing too risque for his liking, he decided to laugh it off. "If you ever see a gadget like that around, let me know. Not sure I wanna know what things are going on in that head of yours!" She laughed through her lips, not taking offense. She was looking pretty relaxed. He decided to steer away from this topic for now. "Haha, think the atmosphere's already gettin' to 'ya."

"What?" She asked, smiling in slight confusion.

"I said you're looking pretty relaxed. Drunk off the atmosphere!" He raised his voice louder, opting to tease her. She opted for a look of skepticism.

"Nonsense," she waved it off. "I don't believe in that placebo stuff." She at least looked a bit looser, Henry noted. That much couldn't be denied. Whatever was in that expensive bottle Sven poured for them, it was pretty strong. She wasn't close to being inebriated, though, he just wanted to poke some fun. "I'm all for real cause and effect. The kind of stuff we do. Not some magic psych stuff that I can't even see." She waved her hand back and forth, gesturing to both of them.

"What? And all the weird, supernatural stuff we do? _Those_ are more believable than the idea of a drunken atmosphere making you drunker?" He countered, falling into a familiar banter. It was easy and fun.

She shook her head, taking a second to collect herself. "Yeah, but the thing is, when those weird things happen, I can _feel_ them happen. Whenever I lift something with that power, me and everyone around can feel it. Whenever you pull out any of your trinkets, I can _see_ what they do as soon as you use them. I don't _feel_ that kind of buzz you're supposed to get from drinking just from being in a crowd of people who already have." She shook her head again, a little too hard, accidentally dislodging her pink hat. She blew a piece of strand hair out of her face. Henry quickly realigned it, careful not to touch the stitched rose on the brim. She paused, giving him a strange look before offering a smile and small "thanks."

Henry shrugged. "Gotta have some elements of surprise in everything you do. I learned that pretty quickly. Let whatever happens, happen," he indulged, laughing internally at their silly topic of conversation.

Ellie shook her head, pushing away a tipsy Toppat who was a little _too_ engrossed in whatever his friends was talking about, not paying attention to his surroundings. "I'm all for a bit of surprise. Wouldn't have joined the Toppat Clan with you if I wasn't. Still, with that kind of thing, I prefer to be the one making my choices, not let some unseen thing decide it for me." She paused, thinking about something.

The bartender returned, setting down two medium glasses of pink, sparkly liquid, sporting a tiny top hat figure for each, fittingly. She thanked him and waved him off. She continued. "I don't like dilly dallying on things I can't control. If I'm gonna get drunk, it'll be because I had a fun night and had a stupid too many drinks in me, not because of some forces acting on me. If I'm gonna be a criminal, hey, better to choose it early than make things harder for myself later on. I know I'm not good for much else, so why not own it?" She stopped for a second, probably wondering how she got to this rambling point. Apparently deciding on something, she fixed her gaze back on Henry, staring at him meaningfully. "If I really want something, I think it's better to go for it than stew in regret, or let something arbitrary like my own thoughts stop me from getting it. I mean... that's why you and I chose this path, right?"

At some point during her monologue, Henry had forgotten to breathe. Taking a moment to close his somewhat gaping mouth and take in a quiet lungful, he tried to remember what they were talking about at first? Placebos? Had the topic changed at some point midway through their talk? He felt like it had. Why was it that this girl...

Ugh... Funnily enough, like all that indirectness stuff Ellie was talking about, that was a real roundabout version of what he'd been doing all day. Well, not just today, but it was particularly bad today. He got into these weird thought processes pretty much all the time. Part and parcel of meeting so many interesting characters and having so many tricks up his sleeve he didn't know half the outcomes of using them. And he guessed it was just like him to be skirting around the actual thing that's been on his mind. Things like how the clan operated, how it treated domestic matters with its members, how members could date each other. They were interesting to think about, but by themselves, didn't mean anything until you pulled up the common thread.

It was... pretty humiliating, in a way. Henry is 28 years old and was walking around this issue like a prepubescent boy with an overactive imagination. To be fair, he's always been a kid at heart, but this was ridiculous!

Henry... liked Ellie. In that romantic way. Yeah. Now, even back when he was imprisoned in The Wall and had consciously chose to escape the complex with this girl, he could admit that she was a real catch. Short red hair, acrobatically adept, somehow incredibly in sync with his unorthodox strategies, prone to a certain degree of silliness like him, and with a fiery passion to match? Like, seriously. Fate had decreed he meet this girl in the same holding cell at the same time he'd been brought in, possessing a set of traits that were so compatible with his that they'd begun crafting their own legend within the Toppat Clan! One serious change in when he arrived at The Wall, or how he chose to escape, would've _massively altered everything_ and veered his journey off somewhere _completely different_ from where he is now.

But, no use thinking about parallel universes. Train of thought for another time! Henry was... really happy when they chose to stick together after fleeing from the complex. At first, he had been a little unsure about what it meant teaming up with this girl. Like he said, he'd been burned by previous partners. But when Ellie subverted his expectations and _crashed_ that stop sign into the Warden's smug jaw, saving his life, any doubt he had instantly evaporated. And when she expressed the desire to stick together, at least for the time being, and form a plan as fugitive buddies? Heh, he'd already accepted her offer before she was halfway finished saying it.

Sure, going down this path he'd risked his life during that three-way war between the military, the Toppats, and the Warden hunting them down. He had skirted the edge of death (or worse, life imprisonment) again, multiple times. Hell, he'd been forced to drop promises to what few contacts he had were willing to make a purchase on the Romanian Ruby when Reginald made that his condition for them joining. All of those were not pretty. But this life he was living now? These new opportunities in his lap? ...And the girl sitting next to him? They were all so damn pretty that they made every other sacrifice and struggle up to this point _worth it._

Ellie was still waiting for his response, if that nervous tip of her head and quick sips were any indication. Quickly rewinding their conversation in his head, Henry cleared his throat. "Y-Yeah, totally. I get that." He looked down at his pretty drink and down the whole thing. For a second, all of his senses were overwhelmed. All he could smell and taste was _fruitiness._ He coughed it out, at enjoying the feeling of it going down. "I get that. And, uh, I know what's it's like, y'know, wanting to get something, throwing caution to the wind, not letting stupid little fears stop me. They haven't yet." He snorted, her doing the same thing. He was thinking about waving the bartender over again, but seeing all the activity around them he didn't bother.

"Huh," Ellie hummed noncommittally. She glanced behind her. Henry followed her gaze, towards the window booths. Yep, the higher-ups were still chilling. Arnoldt looked to be in full story-telling mode now if his sluggish, excited hand gesturing and boisterous voice were any indication. Sven looked to be tolerating it, while Carol seemed to only be giving half-attention, instead most focusing on Goldbloom. She at least seemed to be enjoying herself, a strange sight for a woman who was so busy all the time. She probably relished the chance to dial down the strictness in pleasant company.

Ellie quickly turned around to the bar and downed the last of her Toppy drink, tapping it back onto the table a little too hard. She let out a loud sigh. Henry focused his attention back on her. "Dammit Ellie..." She whispered, taking a moment to rub the brim of her top hat. Henry felt a churning in his gut, and not because the transdimensionalizer had crushed all of his organs into the 1st Dimension. With all the things she was saying...

She glanced back at him, apprehension clear on her face. She sighed, sitting up in her bar stool. "Hey, Henry?" She asked. He nodded back. She shyly moved a few red strands of hair on the side of her head. "So, uh, about that 'not wanting my own thoughts to stop me' thing..." She gestured with her hands. "You know where I'm going with this...?" Looks like, contrary to her own words, she was still just as prone to saying and thinking a bunch of little nothings. The act of insinuating it made her face a bit flushed.

Oh. _Oh._ Huh, looks like Henry wasn't the only one dealing with a pussyfooted attitude. It made him feel a bit better about himself, knowing he wasn't the only one of the two. He welcomed any confidence boost he could get right now!

He cleared his throat, deciding to go along with this. That was the attitude he embodied for everything else in his life, so why not this, too? "Glad to be on the same page on this topic, too." It took her a few seconds to process his words, but when she did she didn't bother to hide it. He could _feel_ the relief coming off of Ellie, her tense body language going to relaxed more than telling. The accompanying sigh gave off that impression, too. "You don't mind everyone else seeing it?"

Ellie scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. She gave a once-over to all the other loud Toppat members around them, each absorbed in their own little worlds. "Why should I care about what these guys think? You and me," she pointed between them, back and forth. "we're already partners. And everyone knows we're some of the best damn thieves around!" She boasted. Amen to that! Henry thought.

She got up from her bar stool, gesturing for Henry to do the same. Ellie leaned back against the bar, and Henry followed suit. She didn't want to keep drinking, he wondered? Glancing around, safe and secure in the body of partying Toppats, she wrapped her arm around his torso. Henry, feeling the familiar pull, adjusted for both their comforts and lazily put his hand behind her, on her shoulder.

Okay, this was pretty damn nice, Henry thought. He bumped his hat against her. She laughed a bit. "This is basically what we already have, but _way better."_ She assured him. "Besides, nothing in the rules say you can't date someone in the clan. People like Carol are enjoying themselves, why not us?"

Henry was now picturing the two of them displayed on some Hall of Fame portrait, like the one room near the top of the ship depicting all the past leaders and heroes of the Toppat Clan. The two of them are back to back, arms crossed, with cocky smiles on their faces. Something cheesy would be displayed underneath, saying something like "The Eccentric Duo: Henry Stickmin and Ellie Rose," and they're like part of the most recognizable figures in Toppat history. The detail of them being lovers a nice, cliche, but sweet, addition to their story. Henry let a chuckle reverberate in his throat at the image.

"So, I guess this is a thing." Henry said, relaxing against the bar.

"Yep," Ellie confirmed. "I guess... we'll take things as they go." She shrugged. She did lean in to him as she said that. He let the warm feeling wash over him. "For now, though, _you_ still owe me several drinks, mister!" Ah, so she was just giving him false hope a minute ago, standing up from the bar. He gave her a look. Ellie returned it with a self-satisfied smile. "Yeah, no. I wasn't gonna let that go. As fun as these hijinks with you and Arnoldt are, I told you so!"

He rolled his eyes. She wasn't often a total tease, but combined with this little confession, plus the loose atmosphere (she probably wasn't admitting to the placebo, though), it made for an interesting Ellie to spend time with. And hey, more reasons to be with her were not something Henry was gonna push away.

He gave her a little smirk. Well, two could play at that game. He quickly leaned in, not acknowledging her questioning look, and pecked her red lips. Barely a second, and the pleasant jolt he felt would've been enough by itself. The look on her face, though, made the move even more worth it. He metaphorically patted himself on the back.

She froze for a second, momentarily slipping her game, as he sat back down. A few other Toppat members, more than a couple on the tipsy side, did notice. Henry didn't really care. And judging by the shift in her face, sitting back down, too, with a cocky smile, she didn't either. That might develop into its own intimate little rivalry, but it was all in good fun. Nothing malicious or murderous about it!

Henry liked the direction this was going. They sat there at the bar, continuing on with their banter and gossip, uncaring about whoever may have saw this, or what someone else thought about that. Henry was all about welcoming the unexpected, and this was definitely a nice surprise. He smiled at her, hopeful of what was to come. She returned it.

**Author's Note:**

> List of CtM characters used, and their appearances in the game:  
> Arnoldt Schwarz: Appears in last decision before Rank: The Betrayed (FtC), Appears in luxury escape pod in Valiant Hero  
> The Ruffian: Appears in Special Brovert Ops (rocket hangar), Appears in Triple Threat (cafeteria)  
> The Witch: Appears across multiple Toppat Clan gatherings  
> Talinn Circus: Same as above ^  
> Carlos Candela: Appears in Stickmin Space Resort Ending (unclear if he's actually a Toppat member) *confirmed to be a terrible pool player*  
> Sven Svensson: Acts as Toppat Clan Leader in all Routes where RHM and/or Reginald were arrested, Appears in luxury escape pod in Valiant Hero, Appears in multiple Toppat Clan Victory Screens  
> Mr. Goldbloom: Appears in Master Bounty Hunter (ruined hangar)  
> Carol Cross: Appears in Special Brovert Ops extorting Stu Pendles who owes her money, Appears in Triple Threat (cafeteria), Appears in luxury escape pod in Valiant Hero, Appears in multiple Toppat Clan Victory Screens
> 
> Writing a budding romance between these two is kind of hard, especially if you want it to feel somewhat gradual. Still, like a lot of other problems, alcohol is there to facilitate! (be careful kids...) But you can still write interesting scenarios between Henry and Ellie!


End file.
